GP essay question guide
Should there be limits to scientific research?
The strongest answers separate limits on methods, such as consent and safety, from limits on questions. Use a case where research went wrong and one where limits would cost lives.
Unpack this question first: 'Limits' can apply to what is studied or to how it is done, so separate the two. 'Scientific research' ranges from star surveys to editing human genes. Lesson: Reading an essay question: terms and scope
Use this question in writing - Sign in, check the question, then write your response.
Topics: Science and Technology, Politics and Governance, Society and Culture
Three argument directions
Protect people
Rules on consent and safety stop experiments that put people at risk.
Qualification: Review can slow urgent research.
Some uses are too dangerous
Research aimed at weapons or uncontrollable risks may need firm limits.
Qualification: Knowledge for harm and for good often overlaps.
Banning fields costs cures
Stopping whole areas of study blocks treatments that could save lives.
Qualification: Without bans, rogue scientists may still go too far.
A model paragraph
Our own paragraph for this question. Copy its moves, not its words.
There should be limits on scientific research when it puts people at risk without their real consent, but limits on what questions may be asked do more harm than good. In 2018 He Jiankui announced that he had edited the genes of twin baby girls in China. The parents could not fully understand the risks, the girls could not consent at all, and any errors could be passed on to their children. He was later jailed, and scientists around the world condemned the experiment. That case shows why rules on human testing matter. Banning whole fields, however, would also stop work that may one day cure inherited diseases. The limit should fall on how research is done, through consent, review and safety checks, rather than on what scientists may study.
How it is built
- Stand: limit methods, not questions.
- Case: the 2018 gene-edited twins.
- Judgement: consent, review and safety, without banning fields.
Six examples to compare
He Jiankui: Gene Editing's Ethical Red Line
He Jiankui's controversial gene-edited babies using CRISPR ignited global debate on human germline editing and ethical limits (2018).
Possible essay use
In November 2018 He Jiankui announced the birth of twin girls whose CCR5 gene he had edited with CRISPR to try to make them HIV-resistant.
Limitation
Little is publicly known about the children's health, so claims about harm or benefit to them are speculation.
Case or source date: 2018-11-26
Source: Al Jazeera
BCIs: Healing Minds, Hacking Thoughts?
Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) offer medical breakthroughs for paralysis and cognitive enhancement hopes, but raise deep ethical alarms over mental privacy and autonomy.
Possible essay use
Neuralink's first human implant, in Noland Arbaugh in January 2024, let him control a computer cursor by thought.
Limitation
This is an early trial with few patients and company-led reporting; long-term safety, and whether such devices can be offered widely, are unknown.
Case or source date: 2024-01-28
Source: ABC7 (AP)
Singapore Completes Sequencing for the SG100K Study
The SG100K programme is building a large Singapore research cohort linking genomic information with health and lifestyle data.
Possible essay use
large health-data studies can improve medicine for a population, but only if people trust that their sensitive data is protected
Limitation
Large cohorts can improve locally relevant research but require durable consent, privacy, security, representation, and clinical validation.
Case or source date: 2024-11-01
Killer Robots: AI in Warfare's Edge
Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), or 'killer robots', spark urgent ethical debates about human control in warfare and global security risks.
Possible essay use
In September 2026 the CCW expert group on lethal autonomous weapons agreed a consensus report among 128 states, affirming human control but creating no binding rules.
Limitation
The outcome of the November 2026 review conference was not known when this record was checked; check it before saying whether treaty talks have begun.
Case or source date: 2026-09-05
CERN Completes a Future Circular Collider Feasibility Study
CERN released a feasibility study for a possible Future Circular Collider as input to later scientific and political decisions.
Possible essay use
CERN released a feasibility study for a possible Future Circular Collider as input to later scientific and political decisions.
Limitation
A feasibility study is not an approval, and projected scientific benefits must be weighed against cost, environmental impact, and alternatives.
Case or source date: 2025-03-31
Source: CERN
FDA Approves the First Cellular Therapy for Advanced Melanoma
The US FDA approved the first tumour-derived cellular therapy for certain adults with advanced melanoma in 2024.
Possible essay use
The US FDA approved the first tumour-derived cellular therapy for certain adults with advanced melanoma in 2024.
Limitation
Regulatory approval for a defined patient group does not establish broad affordability, access, or long-term comparative value.
Case or source date: 2024-02-16
Source: US Food and Drug Administration